Discovering Castiel
by HappyLlamaSadLlama
Summary: AU/ Castiel is a Christian family man. He wants nothing more than to settle down away from the city, find a girl and have some kids. But very quickly after moving in, he learns that not everything is as he thought, and his new neighbor, Dean, has a secret. One which might tear their friendship apart. Much thanks to benedlunds and with help from consultingtrickster (.Tumblr)
1. Chapter 1

**Discovering Castiel**

**By HappyLlamaSadLlama**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the words I have written. I do not own the characters or claim any of the actual TV series as my own, and the story is with thanks to .com and .com**

**Any reviews woule be much appreciated :)  
Thank you **

* * *

Castiel was fed up of the city.

He didn't know why he'd bothered to move there in the first place. Perhaps it was his dream to work in a bustling city at one point, live the life he'd seen in TV shows and films. But the fact of the matter was that it was no longer his dream.

Castiel hated the city.

With a passion.

Perhaps that was the reason he'd moved away. Sold his tiny apartment for a larger cottage in the middle of absolutely nowhere (It wasn't really nowhere, he had moved to a small village on the outskirts of the next major city along. It wasn't nowhere in reality, but it felt like it in comparison to his previous home), switched his daily routine of coffee and alarms for a job at a local shop. It wasn't much, but it would be simple. And that's exactly what he needed. He needed simplicity and an easy life spent amongst people who weren't so demanding, and away from deadlines, well at least for a while.

Unfortunately, it seemed that people in the country were more demanding than he'd expected. The taxi driver alone had charged a small fortune, which had caused an argument in the middle of the town square of his new village, which in turn had called out what seemed like a majority of the population of the settlement. So much for good first impressions.

He paid the driver dutifully and skulked away, his multiple suitcases dragging behind him along with half the town's people grumbling their complaints more to themselves than anything else. Not that he really cared; the city had made him less aware of the feelings of other people. They could think what they wanted, and he could ignore them, it was as simple as that.

After a few minutes of walking he was disrupted from his thoughts by the shrill voice of a woman. "Castiel, is it okay if I call you Ca… C- Castiel, slow down a second. Please?" She babbled as he stopped walking and turned his head to face her. She was short in stature, a business-like suit covering her upper half and a matching skirt covering the lower- Not that the skirt was covering very much of her lower half. _Good Lord, had she no decency? _Her brown hair was tied back in a tight bun which only accentuated the sharpness of her features. She wasn't beautiful, though nor was she ugly, her expression was calm but bubbly and gave her a stern but cheerful demeanour, if that was possible.

Her quick pace slowed as he stopped, and she was clearly out of breath as she leant down to adjust the straps of her heels.

_Dear God, the woman looked like a prostitute._

"I'm so glad I caught you, Castiel?"

"Castiel." He confirmed with a curt nod of acknowledgement, though he'd have preferred it if she'd called him by his surname. Overfriendly people made him uncomfortable. Overfriendly women in short skirts made him uncomfortable.

"Brillaint, absolutely perfect." She murmured as she began to ramble once again, pausing only momentarily to glance down at the clipboard hugged to her chest. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, I believe we've spoken over the phone."

He had no recollection of talking to a woman over the phone, but he politely nodded in encouragement for her to speak.

"Wonderful." _What was it with her and positive adjectives?_ "Well, I'd have caught you at the taxi but I wasn't expecting you this early. I was hoping you'd phone when you were closer so I could greet you as soon as you arrived." She paused for a breath, had she really just got through the whole of the previous speech without breathing? He was impressed. "I'm sorry, I'm babbling to myself, I'll stop." She let out a high pitched giggle and Castiel flinched lightly. God, she was insufferable. "Anyway, the house is the other way; you're heading in the wrong direction entirely. Here are the… Oh, here are the keys." She exclaimed, drawing a set from her pocket and tossing them to him, all too cheerfully. "I'm a phone call away if you need me, Castiel. I won't walk you to the house, you should be able to find it easily enough, it's not rocket science." She giggled once again, giving him a brief wave and turning from him, beginning to walk back along the tarmac of the sidewalk. He was about to wave back, but she'd already turned, and in reality, he saw no point.

_Of course, the estate agent… _He groaned at his incompetence, they'd talked many a time on the phone, but she sounded utterly different in real life. More… Irritating.

With an extended sigh, he took hold of the baggage again, trundling it behind him as he set off at the same impatient pace as before, only this time, in the correct direction.

It took him exactly seventeen minutes to locate the house, and yes. He was fairly impressed. Having grown up in the city, large houses had always given him a warm feeling inside his stomach. Maybe living in one would finally give him the peace he needed to unwind.

The doctors and therapists had told him that he needed to unwind.

Frequently.

Easy enough for them to say, they were practically paid a large sum of money each time they told him to relax. It was always the same. They'd tell him he was too tense, that his job was slowly and surely winding him up like a spring in a machine. An automatic machine; with no way of stopping the build up except to jam a spanner into the cogs and make a run for it.

Of course, his church group had always been supportive, even if they didn't understand his pain. Each Sunday afternoon, they would meet for the coffee and smile with their beaming eyes at him as he told them what he was going through. Those smiles had kept him going for much longer than he'd have been able to go if he hadn't seen them each week. If anything, they'd helped him through it all much more than the doctors and the drugs they'd tried to force down his throat.

But eventually, the time had come when even Christ and his support groups had failed to help. It wasn't as if they hadn't been trying, they honestly had with all of their hearts, it was the machine which had crushed him. And so, he had finally taken the advice of the therapist. He'd thrown a spanner into the cogs and legged it to a place he'd never been to. A place where could start anew. A place where he could take some time to uncoil the tight wires which made up the spring he had become.

He was dragged out of his thoughts as a voice called out. Though this time, it was a man's shout which snapped him out of his tormented thoughts.

"I hate to break it to you, but you've been standing there for at least the past…. Five minutes? You alright?" The voice had asked.

And in response. Castiel had turned.

In front of him stood a man. His brown sweatshirt covered his top half and stubble lined his chin, along with the cheeky half smile he wore on his lips.

_ He was of course attractive,_

_But that was irrelevant._

"N- No I'm fine, I think I just blanked out for a moment." Castiel shook his head, the smile from the opposite man's lips spreading to his own as if it were an infection. It had been a while since he'd smiled at all.

"If you're sure." The man shrugged, making his way closer to Castiel before stopping at the white picket fence, surrounding the garden he was standing in, and leaning his right arm out. "Dean Winchester. Pleasure to meet you…" He trailed off, asking for his name without saying anything directly.

"Castiel." He answered, dumping the bags on the sidewalk and closing the distance, and taking his hand firmly in a handshake.

A warm feeling filled his chest.

"Pleasure." Dean nodded, releasing his hand and letting his arms fold tightly. "So you're the newbie. Need any help with your bags?"

"No, I can manage, but thank you for the offer. They're not too difficult to handle when you get the hang of it." Castiel nodded, his arms falling awkwardly at his sides. He had never been one for conversation, but this man made him feel comfortable.

"Well if you're sure. Tell you what; you're invited to dinner at mine tonight. It's the least I can do to welcome you to the community."

"I don't think that's really necess-" Castiel started before he was interrupted by a now extremely enthusiastic Dean.

"Of course it is. Just be here at seven and I'll make sure there's something edible in."

And with that, it was decided for him. Not that he really minded. It would be nice to spend an evening with someone new, and Dean seemed like a friendly enough man.

They spoke their brief goodbyes, Castiel turning for one last glance at the man after he'd picked up his suitcases once more, and Dean returning with a strong wave, the mischievous grin still on his face, almost threatening a loud laugh to burst through and escape. Castiel's smile widened briefly in reply before he turned away and unlocked the door to his new house, almost stumbling through with his baggage. He leaned back and closed the door, sliding the latch in place, but not before he'd heard the cheerful chuckle from Dean.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean couldn't wipe the wide grin from his face after Castiel had closed the door and he'd returned to the business of attempting to tame the garden. So far, he'd managed to clear the west side of the weeds which had been festering amongst the more appealing plants, and he'd been determined to start re-painting the fence too, but now he had plans for dinner, he didn't have the time for unnecessary DIY.  
It was more of a pastime or a necessary chore than a hobby, he'd never enjoyed it, and he'd never wanted to get bogged down in the realities of life, but normalities seemed to be able to catch him up these days. Even his job didn't offer the same enjoyment it once did. It felt more like a job than the fun it had once been in his past.

_Shit._

His job. He'd made arrangements already for the evening. Why did it have to be such a nightmare to do something decent? Castiel seemed like a nice guy, and he couldn't bail on him, especially on their first proper meeting together. He wanted to make a good first impression, and perhaps inviting the new neighbour over for dinner was a little bit of a cliché, but it was a thoughtful gesture nonetheless.

The easiest option seemed to be cancelling the meeting he had arranged. The clients wouldn't mind, they were always willing to reschedule.

He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, before making his way away from the edges of the garden, where the plant beds lay, and towards the house. His hand reached the door before he did and with a well practiced movement, he turned the handle, allowing the warm breeze from outside to flood into the hallways and rooms of the house. A long breath was sucked into his lungs and he slipped inside the house, shutting the door behind him.

The coolness of the interior came as a welcome shock in contrast to the warm summer air outside. He'd have loved to stay outdoors for longer, but he there was no chance of that happening at present. The well trodden path from the door to the kitchen was almost the automatic route to take once he was inside, and once inside the room, his left hand fumbled around for his mobile while his right opened the closest cupboard and he poked his head inside. Absent mindedly, his hand reached for the next cupboard as the first failed to provide the food he was looking for (i.e. something edible and worthy of a proper dinner).

After many angered noises, he finally gave up on the idea of finding decent food within the bounds of his home. This was more of a nightmare than he'd expected.

_Maybe this was a bad idea._

No, he couldn't cancel the dinner. It was his once chance to make Castiel feel welcome.

After a few more moments of silent debate, he picked his phone up and off the counter entirely, passing it between his hands before tapping at the screen and lifting it to his ear.

"Yeah, it's me." He murmured into the device, his hand moving to scratch the nape of his neck. "No, it's about tonight's appointment. Yeah, I know. I know. No, it's not about that, we discussed it ages ago. You know I'm fine with the arrangement. No. No. That's not the problem, I can't do it tonight. Can we rearrange to- no I don't know." He sighed in agitation, tapping at the counter. "Friday, I can do Friday. Yes. I'm sorry I wasn't able to call you earlier; I wanted to let you know as soon as I could. Thank you, yes. I'll see you Friday."

He brought the phone back from his ear and hung up.

oooooooooooooooo

Castiel hadn't looked at the house in person before he'd bought it, he was a businessman, and snap decisions were his life. Looking back, it had probably been a terrible idea, though it hadn't turned out as badly as he'd expected.  
The house was moderately large, pretty much average judging by what he'd seen so far. Which, to be honest, was one hallway, an open doorframe and the doorways to several other rooms.

He dumped his bags and suitcases at the entrance. It was a good thing the house was pre-furbished. He couldn't stand the idea of having to shop for furniture. Unnecessary processes were a waste of time for a practical man such as him, and he most certainly was a practical man.

Before he could resist the urge any longer, he walked towards the empty doorway and into the living room. A single grey couch rested against the opposite wall, and his eyebrows rose a little at the quite frankly hideous wallpaper. Upon closer inspection, the walls were covered with vertical stripes of indented brown.

_ Brown._

He was definitely not a fan of the colour, and not a fan of the wallpaper. But that was a problem for later, he could refurbish if it drove him insane.

His legs brought him into the conjoined kitchen a moment after he'd stepped away from the walls, and he was moderately impressed by the room, even if the decoration was a little too seventies for his taste. Wooden cupboard doors clunked shut as he looked, in curiosity, for any food which could have been left decorating the shelves. Unfortunately, there was still no food to be found on the third lap, so he gave up, and made his way around the rest of the house.

It didn't take him long to explore the downstairs, and then the upstairs, and even the basement gave him little joy. It was strange to think, that at one point in his life, basements had given him a sort of nervous energy. Perhaps it was the idea that even though lights made sure no corner was unlit, mentally, there could still be any range of monsters hidden amongst the darkest shadows and the cracks and crevices of the walls.

_A young boy was sat on the solid floor, his eyes staring up at the walls, watching the shadows flicker as a consequence of the candle he had placed in front of him. Something about the movement of the dark and light gave him shivers of anticipation. Perhaps, if he waited long enough, a monster would appear, and he could finally see one in person, rather than giving the heroes of books and of films to have all the enjoyment. _

_No monsters ever came._

_And night after night, he sat and waited,_

_and waited,_

_and waited._

_Each night, after he had waited 'till long past his bedtime and the fatigue had closed his eyes, the arms of his mother would carry him to bed and tuck him in, planting a soft kiss above his forehead, before leaving the room to let the young boy dream of being the hero._

_"Good night, Castiel."_

But those thoughts had been from his childhood. He was a mature adult now, his childhood and teenage years had been and gone. There was no such thing as monsters, and no amount of wishful thinking could summon them into the basements of the average home.

A second glance was spared but no second thoughts were given as he exited up the stairs.

His thoughts, however, were focused on Dean, and the dinner he'd been invited to. It seemed that moving away from the city had most definitely been a good idea. Stress had made him prone to panic attacks in recent months, and living a while out in the peace and quiet would help him sort his life, and his priorities out.

Maybe, he'd even find a woman, whom he could eventually entrust with his secrets, his ambitions and his dreams. Of course, finding a woman in the first place was his major dream.

He'd always wanted to settle down with a woman, have a few children, and spend the evenings watching the sun set over the hills in the distance, his hand wrapped into hers and her head resting on his shoulder.

Dreams, at the moment, were not to be taken into consideration. This evening was to be spent practically, making a friend of a neighbour, something he'd quite possibly never done in his life.

His legs brought him back to the hallway where he'd first entered the house, his hands brushed over the handles of the bags, but his body refused to let his hand grasp the straps and instead, stayed trailing across the top. He was too tired to unpack at present. His clothes could stay folded together for a while; he had more important things to do this afternoon, until he had to turn up at Dean's. Though he had no specific time to arrive, he presumed turning up around five would be sufficient. He trudged up the steps, one foot being placed above each other until he'd reached the doorway the bedroom, letting himself fall onto the bed face first, not worrying about his clothes crumpling.

He could afford to sleep for a while.

The day had been long.


End file.
